Moey Dworkin-Cantor Dreamer Fund

December 17, 2017 0 comments

Moey Dworkin-Cantor Dreamer Fund

Support this scholarship fund for two Dreamers at a Chicago Public School!!!
(Moey- by Bella Alarcón)
Many students, including students with undocumented status, attend schools in Chicago. Teachers for Social Justice is committed to building a world where no person is declared illegal, and college tuition is free for all. We are also committed to doing what we can in this moment to ease the financial burden for students who can't take advantage of financial aid while pursuing their post-secondary dreams.

Moey Dworkin-Cantor is currently and courageously battling cancer and is the daughter of Phil Cantor, CPS high school science teacher and TSJ member. This scholarship, named after her, will go towards the college tuition of two graduating undocumented seniors from Chicago Public Schools. Students and staff from the awarded school will elect the recipients of the scholarship.



Link to the campaign is here!!
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Report Back: Building Solidarity from Chile to Chicago

December 12, 2017 0 comments

Report Back: Building Solidarity from Chile to Chicago

Friday, December 15, 6-8 PM
Dyett High School
555 E. 51st Street, Chicago
ALL ARE WELCOME 

Join us for a report back on our two-week delegation in August 2017 to meet with teachers, teacher unions, public officials, student movement leaders, grassroots communities, parents and academics in Chile.
   
The U.S. assisted overthrow of an elected socialist government in Chile ushered in a brutal dictatorship and laboratory for neoliberalism. How can we learn from the Chilean people's resistance to help our struggle here? 


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Curriculum Fair Followup Event

December 6, 2017 0 comments

Curriculum Fair Followup Event

Thank You and Looking Forward Event
Saturday, December 9, 5-7 PM
Marwen Arts Center
833 N. Orleans Street, Chicago
This year's Curriculum Fair was a rousing success! With an estimated 900 people, 70 Curriculum and Resource Tables, 15 well-attended workshops, and lots of eaters...we want to thank ALL the people who worked on and attended the 16th annual CF.


The CF is put on entirely by volunteers--entirely. From giving a workshop to putting up a poster, from posting photos to taking down tables, from serving food to doing an outreach event, from registering people to shopping for coffee, over 100 people make the CF what it is--and that's before even counting all the exhibitors who tabled. In that sense, it is a model of what we want to be-an inclusive space with a radical and determined politics, fun-loving spirit, and open heart, put on and embraced by a collective community. It is about building a justice movement, in education and without, about developing the relationships we need to transform this ugly world into another that we know is possible. It is a space for politically educating ourselves and preparing for the work of creating a new society.


We ask that you share your thoughts about the CF in this google form-it won't take long. We are always trying to learn. And, that you join us in the THANK YOU and LOOKING FORWARD event, RSVP'ing here. It's Dec 9, 5-7 PM, and we'll have light refreshments. 

THANK YOU AGAIN!
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16th Annual Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair!

October 31, 2017 0 comments


Our Power is Dangerous: Teaching-Learning-Organizing in This Moment.

REGISTER HERE!

FULL PROGRAM HERE!

Saturday, November 18, 2017
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
North Grand High School
4338 W. Wabansia Ave.
Chicago, IL

Co-Sponsored by Rethinking Schools

The 2017 Curriculum Fair Registration is OPEN! ALL are welcome!, and we ask for a $5-10 donation at the door.

TSJ is a 100% volunteer organization that turns 20 next year! Every Curriculum Fair is organized by ALL OF US together!

Click HERE to register!! And you can volunteer on the registration form. See you NOVEMBER 18th!

We have finalized our workshops and are quite excited about them--from early childhood to adult education; from fighting the attack on Black teachers to supporting white teachers to fight racism; from a youth space to cultural spaces in multiple languages; from fighting Islamophobia and the new cop academy, to learning about the Puerto Rican debt crisis and the new, mandated (in CPS) Burge-torture-victims reparations curriculum--these are some powerful workshops that will help us all TEACH-LEARN-ORGANIZE in this moment!

You do not need to sign up for specific workshops ahead, but you DO need to register for the CF if you haven't already!

WORKSHOPS SESSION I-From 12:15 to 1:30
1.    #NoCopAcademy-Assata's Daughters. Room 203.
2.    Students Defining Social Justice-TSJ. Room 265.
3.    Defending Developmental Practice in Chicago Early Childhood Classrooms-Chicago Teachers Union. Room 205
4.    Teach In: Stop the Deadly Exchange-Jewish Voice for Peace (Chicago). Room 207.
5.    Where are They Now? Exploring the Decline of Black Teachers-Dr. Aisha Wade-Bey, Tara Stamps, Dr. Monique Redeaux-Smith. Room 208. 
6.    Building a People's Education Movement: Strategies for Movement Building Within and Across Local Struggles-People's Education Movement Chicago. Room 209.
7.    Stepping Back: Self Care in Teaching-Goodman Theatre. Room 210.
8.    Back to Biliteracy-Books del Sur. Room 212.

WORKSHOPS SESSION II-From 2:15 to 3:30
1.   The Work of White Educators: Anti-Racist Teaching-Learning-Organizing-TSJ. Room 203.
2.  Anti-Islamophobia Workshop for Teachers-American Friends Service Committee. Room 205
3.    Urban Nature-Inspired Arts-Borderbend Arts Collective. Room 207.
4.    LGBTQ+ Issues in Education: Understanding, Inclusion, and Advocacy-Dr. Gloria Alter. Room 208.
5.    Liberating ESL Classrooms: Using Small Writing Groups to Foster Dignity, Consciousness, and Collectivity-Community Writing Project. Room 209.
6.    Se Acabaron Las Promesas: Resistance in the Face of Austerity and Crisis-Chicago Boricua Resistance. Room 210.
7.    Reparations Won: Teaching the New CPS Curriculum-Chicago Teachers Union. Room 214.

SEE YOU ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18!!! 10:00 AM SHARP!

AND DON'T FORGET YOUR WATER BOTTLE!




Download color flyer here.

Download black and white flyer here
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Chicago for Abolition Summit Schedule, November 8 – 12th, 2017

October 8, 2017 0 comments

Chicago for Abolition: A Summit on Organizing and Strategy

A weekend of events to strengthen the movement against the prison industrial complex. Nov. 8-12, 2017.

for more info, visit: http://criticalresistance.org/Chicago2017/ 

In this period of astonishing energy and public discussion about abolition, Critical Resistance (CR) is excited to build with organizations and communities in Chicago that are fighting to address and eliminate the harms of the interlocking systems of policing, imprisonment, and surveillance—what we call the prison industrial complex (PIC).  As we approach 20 years since the first Critical Resistance conference and our early campaigns, CR is committed to building a stronger abolitionist movement nationally. We are humbled and glad to work with communities in Chicago as part of this effort. Through a weekend of events, workshops and political dialogue, we seek to build a stronger organizational relationships and a stronger shared understanding of PIC abolition and how we practice and advance this cause, locally and nationally.





Wednesday, November 8 - No Easy Victories: Fighting for Abolition
Location: University Church, 5655 South University Avenue Chicago, IL 60637
Time: 5pm Dinner; 7pm Event Program 5 – 6:30pm: Free Community Dinner, catered by Sanctuary Café; 6:30pm: Coffee and Reception; 7 – 9pm: Event Program
Description: A Conversation with Angela Y. Davis and Ruthie Wilson Gilmore, moderated by Beth Richie.
All seats for this event are full! If you RSVP’d but will not be using your seats after all, please let us know ASAP as there is a waitlist for this event. Email Jess@criticalresistance.org.

Thursday, November 9 – Without Walls: Abolition and Rethinking Education
Location: First Defense Legal Aid, 601 S. California Ave, Chicago, IL 61612
Time: 6:30-8:30 PM
Description: Are you organizing to get police out of your school? Working on responses to harm in the classroom and staffroom that do not involve criminalization? Want a curriculum that creates possibilities to imagine and build a world without prisons and borders? Building to protect students and families from immigration enforcement (ICE)?

Come to this panel discussion with K-12 educators, youth advocates and abolitionist organizers that will deepen learning between and across these constituencies and identify needed tools and resources.

Featuring: Ayanna Banks Harris - Chicago Math Teacher and Dean of Instruction, Love & Protect; Beatriz Beckford – MomsRising; Cyriac Mathew - Uplift Community High School; Muhammad Sankari - Arab American Action Network; Moderator: Charity Tolliver, Black on Both Sides/BYP 100


Friday, November 10 - Beyond One Chicago: Resisting the Divisions of the Prison Industrial Complex 
Location: UIC Student Services Building, 1200 W Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607. Conf. Rooms B & C 
Time: Doors open at 6pm, Start at 6:30
Description: An event on resisting criminalization, gang databases, and policing. We will feature the launch of a critical new report on the use of gang databases in Chicago. Community organizers will discuss past efforts to fight policing and criminalization. Together we will build abolitionist visions of expansive sanctuary in Chicago. Featuring BYP 100, Critical Resistance, Organized Communities Against Deportation (OCAD), and Mijente.

Saturday, November 11 - Fight to Win: Shrinking Prisons & Jails / Strengthening Communities

Location: Trinity United Church of Christ, 400 95th St, Chicago, IL 60628
Time: 12pm - 2pm
Description: Fight to Win: Shrinking Prisons and Jails / Strengthening Our Communities will be a workshop-style event build sharpen our knowledge of organizing against imprisonment and strengthen strategies to fight for a world without cages. We will explore and discuss successful campaigns around stopping jail construction, ending money bail, advocating for prison closure, and for supporting prisoner-led struggles. This event is hosted by Chicago Community Bond Fund, Critical Resistance, Free Write Arts & Literacy, Nehemiah Trinity Rising, and The Next Movement.


Sunday, November 12 – Organizers’ Roundtable Discussion
Location: Chicago Freedom School (CFS), 719 S. State St., 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60605
Time: 12pm - 2:30pm; We’ll provide some coffee and light brunch food.
Description: Critical Resistance invites members and staff of organizations who are attending the Chicago for Abolition Summit to an informal roundtable discussion. We are interested in hearing about local work fighting the harms of imprisonment, policing, surveillance, courts, and their attendant ills. We hope to talk about what Critical Resistance is up to, hear feedback on the weekend, and think through connections to strengthen our broad movement for abolition. Please bring materials, propaganda, swag, anything you want to share or show off. RSVP’s appreciated: Please RSVP to Jess@criticalresistance.org
Info about venue: We will be meeting in the in the "Open Space" which is the large central room in the center of CFS, on the 4th floor. CFS is just south of State and Balbo next door to Pauly's Pizza. There are stairs only from the entrance off of State Street. We have an elevator in the back which can be accessed from the alley, right next to the parking lot. Ring the buzzer that says "Chicago Freedom/ICAH" and someone will buzz you in.


Thank you to the Chicago for Abolition partner organizations: Black on Both Sides, BYP100, Chicago Community Bond Fund, Chicago Freedom School, Education for Liberation, FIST - Formerly Incarcerated Students Together, Free Write Arts and Literacy, Love & Protect, Mijente, Nehemiah Trinity Rising, Organized Communities Against Deportation (OCAD), People's Education Movement, Teachers for Social Justice, and Trinity United Church of Christ.


Thank you to the Chicago for Abolition sponsoring organizations! Broadway Youth Center, Chicago National Lawyers Guild (NLG), Chicago Torture Justice Memorials, Decarcerate Marion County/No New Jail Coalition, Familia Trans Queer Liberation, For the People Artists Collective, Illinois Deaths in Custody Project, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Jewish Voice for Peace, John Marshall Law School- National Lawyers Guild, Lifted Voices, Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration (MUAVI), National Black Food & Justice Alliance, PASO- West Suburban Action Project, People's Response Team, Project NIA, The Next Movement, Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois, and Village Leadership Academy.


Donate or Sponsor: The generous support of you and your organization helps us host this summit and build a stronger national abolitionist movement. Gifts of $100- $500 or whatever you can offer are greatly appreciated. Contribute here: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/criticalresistance

Website: http://www.criticalresistance.org/chicago2017 Email: Jess@criticalresistance.org Office: 510-444-0484 Cell: 201-310-2345 (Nov 7th – 12th)
 
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2017 Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair!!

September 3, 2017 0 comments

16th Annual Curriculum Fair!
Our Power is Dangerous: 
Teaching-Learning-Organizing in This Moment.

When: Saturday, Nov 18, 2017
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: North Grand High School, 4338 W. Wabansia Ave., Chicago

All are welcome!

Get involved in TSJ and help plan and organize the Curriculum Fair (it's an all-volunteer event!). Lots of things to do, both large and small-help with: outreach, tabling, art work, food, registration, documentation, setup, cleanup, translation, and more!

Planning Meeting:
Saturday, September 16, 2017
4:30 - 6:30 
UIC College of Education
Room 3427

FOR FURTHER INFO, CONTACT  teachersforjustice@hotmail.com

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May 7, 2017 0 comments

Countering Islamophobia in Classrooms and Schools: A Workshop for Educators

In the US, fear of terrorism has been used to justify the racial and religious profiling of Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim. Since the 1970s, we have witnessed a steady rise in violent incidents and policies that intimidate, harm, and exclude Arab, Muslim, and immigrant communities. As critical educators for social justice, we have a responsibility to actively confront and dismantle Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism in our classrooms and schools.

Join our learning community of educators as we:
  • Build understandings about the structural roots of anti-Muslim racism and how it affects our communities 
  • Unpack the dominant myths and narratives around Muslims/Islam 
  • Reframe Islamophobia as only individual acts of bigotry toward an analysis of state violence and systems of oppression 
  • Strategize around meaningful ways to address anti-Muslim racism in classrooms and schools 
  • Leave the training with action steps and questions for further study 
  • Develop skills to speak out against Anti-Muslim discrimination; advocate for policies that respect the rights and dignity of Muslims; and oppose profiling, surveillance, and state violence against the Muslim community, inside and outside of schools
Location to be shared on confirmation of registration

Dinner will be provided.

Pre-registration required. 

Please register by Wednesday, May 10th.


This training is a joint project of the American Friends Service Committee - Chicago, Teachers for Social Justice - Chicago, and the Decolonize Education Coalition at UIC College of Education.



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May Day: Resist. Reimagine. Rebuild.

April 13, 2017 0 comments


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Action for Racial and Economic Justice

March 28, 2017 0 comments

Action for Racial and Economic Justice

Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Anniversary of Dr. King's Assassination
National Mobilization for Justice

The Fight for $15 has partnered nationally with the Movement for Black Lives for a day of action on April 4th, the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Teachers for Social Justice is organizing for this event (in Chicago), which is in two parts: 

Part I: 3:30 PM-Federal Plaza, 219 S Dearborn: Rally for racial, economic, and gender justice! 

Part II: 5:30 PM-Chicago Teachers Union, 1901 West Carroll: Citywide Teach-In-Resist, Reimagine, Rebuild-linking Dr. King, economic & racial justice, and the need to build a united front with many movements.TSJ 

Members/supporters will meet at 3:15 at Federal Plaza. Look for the TSJ Banner and gather there. And we will sit together at the Teach-In at 5:30.

Come join with us for this historic occasion in commemorating Dr. King's vision, legacy, and spirit of struggle. Click here to let TSJ know if you're coming AND please register HERE.





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